There is a troubling story outside of Washington where journalist Audrey Hudson’s home was searched by federal agents who took documents related to stories and reportedly asked her about stories that she had written that were critical of the Federal Air Marshal program. The agents had a warrant to search for unregistered firearms and a “potato gun.” That apparently required a pre-dawn raid by armed agents of the U.S. Coast Guard, Maryland State Police and the Department of Homeland Security. Presumably, the family was believed to have a whole bushel of potatoes that were considered an arsenal.
Hudson’s husband, Paul Flanagan, was found guilty in 1986 to resisting arrest in Prince George’s County. The warrant stated that police were to search the residence and seize all weapons and ammunition because he is prohibited under the law from possessing firearms.
Hudson was called by her husband who was in the driveway in their Chesapeake home to say that they were surrounded by the officers in full body armor (which appears to also protect against potato weapons). Hudson insists that they were held by the officers as they searched for the weapons. They apparently could not find nary a potato chip.
What they did find were government documents and notes from the Hudson’s files. A Washington Times reporter, Hudson alleges that one of the agents asked if she was the same person who had written a series of stories critical of the Federal Air Marshal program in the mid-2000s. When she said that she was, she says that the officer said that “Those stories were embarrassing to the agency.” According to one report, Hudson said that investigator, Miguel Bosch, identified himself as a former air marshal official.
Even more troubling is her claim that she was not informed of the seizure of the documents. She was only told that “miscellaneous documents” were taken. When she was called by Homeland Security to pick up the documents weeks later, she realized that they had taken the government records. Such documents were not listed in the warrant and all dealt with the Federal Air Marshal stories. The newspaper is preparing a legal action.
The government insists that its agents considered the documents to be “law enforcement sensitive.” The Coast Guard also took her personal, handwritten notes and accessed her personal Facebook page.
Neither Hudson nor her husband were charged or arrested. Given the Administration’s prior surveillance of journalists and their families, it was another troubling case that warrants review. The government is citing fellow employees at the Coast Guard as implicating Flanagan from alleged statements he made referring to himself as a gun collector. Even so, it would be extremely inappropriate to use such a raid to question a reporter about negative stories and remark on the government’s displeasure with her coverage. That concern is magnified by the seizure of such documents from the home of the journalist without even asking for an explanation. The fact that the agent felt comfortable in allegedly raising the negative coverage would reflect a troubling sense of impunity by officers.
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2013/10/29/times-plans-legal-action-after-files-seized-in-raid/
So the guy is prohibited from owing weapons….. But is an ordinance technician for the coast guard….something very wrong or ironic…. Papers only report what they are allowed to report on….. I’m glad that a so called right wing newspaper revealed this…..
“My personal take on this is the weapons search was nothing more than a pretext to get at her records.”
Bingo.
Steve F.
We are both partly correct and partly wrong. Slang words and usage changes so rapidly it is hard to keep up. The reference is to silencers rather than full auto, at least in some circles. There is some indication he purchased a real potato spud launcher online, but threw it away when it didn’t work. Here is more on the story:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/25/armed-agents-seize-records-reporter-washington-tim/?page=all
My personal take on this is the weapons search was nothing more than a pretext to get at her records.
nick “It is interesting that it took a “right wing[OMG!] newspaper” to break this story. Seems the MSM and left wing echo chamber were too busy covering other stories and missed this one.” Not really….she has worked for right wing news sources so of course she went to them. They love stories about gun grabbers.
Bizarre.
It is interesting that it took a “right wing[OMG!] newspaper” to break this story. Seems the MSM and left wing echo chamber were too busy covering other stories and missed this one.
The raid was at 4:30AM and had armed and armored government agents from at least 3 different agencies.
By definition that is intimidation.
Otteray Scribe
I have never heard that “potato gun” is slang for a machine gun. Nor can I find any reference in the dictionary.
The Colt-Browning M1895 machine gun was called the potato digger, but that has no bearing on the story.
A potato gun is one that uses pneumatic force, rather than gunpowder to drive the missile. They are homemade for the most part. Used for fun. You don’t hit a liquor store w/ a potato gun, unless apparently if you’re from Tenn.
Oops. “Potato masher” is the WW2 era German boom-boom stick.
I thought that was a “potato masher”?
“Potato gun” is slang for a fully automatic weapon. Sounds humorous, but having an unlicensed machine gun is serious business.
” Why would the Coast Guard Investigative Service be involved with a raid to make sure Flanagan wasn’t violating gun laws? The Coast Guard said it was because Flanagan is an ordnance technician for the Coast Guard in Baltimore. Why take someone’s files during a gun raid? The Coast Guard says it’s because some were original government documents, which Hudson says she got through a Freedom of Information Act request. “During the course of the search, the CGIS agent discovered government documents labeled FOUO – For Official Use Only (FOUO) – and LES – Law Enforcement Sensitive. The files that contained these documents were cataloged on the search warrant inventory and taken from the premises,” a Coast Guard spokesperson said. Hudson says that doesn’t explain why her handwritten notes were taken.
Update: The Coast Guard sent this statement:
“In the course of a joint Federal & Maryland State Police investigation, a lawful search warrant was served on August 6, 2013 in Shadyside, MD. The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) was asked to participate since the search involved a Coast Guard employee. During the course of the search, the CGIS agent discovered government documents labeled FOUO – For Official Use Only (FOUO) and LES – Law Enforcement Sensitive. The files that contained these documents were cataloged on the search warrant inventory and taken from the premises. The documents were reviewed with the source agency and determined to be obtained properly through the Freedom of Information Act. The CG employee was notified that the documents were cleared and the CG employee picked them up after signing for the documents.” http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/10/conservative-reporter-says-feds-took-her-files-while-searching-home-guns/70941/
What does the 1986 arrest of hubbiepoo have to do with the “warrant” mentioned in the same sentence? Confusion is unnecessary.
Juliet,
What’s missing is the word “intimidation.”
*****
Coast Guard seizes journalist’s records in search
By Alicia A. Caldwell, Associated Press
Published Friday, Oct. 25, 2013
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/oct/25/us-journalist-records-seized/
Excerpt:
WASHINGTON — A Coast Guard investigator accompanying Maryland State Police to serve a search warrant in a weapons investigation at a Maryland home seized unrelated government documents and notes from a journalist who was the suspect’s wife. The Coast Guard said its investigator was suspicious that the government documents were labeled “law enforcement sensitive.”
The government subsequently returned the papers after concluding the reporter had obtained them under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
I’m confused, as potato guns are completely legal in Maryland and not considered a firearm.
Please correct the title of the topic. It is “stories” not “stores”.
Reblogged this on Reality Check and commented:
Well, the Government is going after the media now….First the guns, now free speech. When are the media leftists going to grasp they are NEXT?
WTAF? Not that I wouldn’t put this past any law enforcement agency, but something just feels missing from this story.